Today, PlanetM announced Wise Systems as the 2019 Techstars Startup of the Year and WaveSense as PlanetM Awards Best in Show, awarded by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, at Automobili-D, the mobility portion of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

“It is fitting to recognize the companies that are revolutionizing transportation at the North American International Auto Show because Detroit is well-positioned to drive the mobility marketplace toward a safer, smarter and more accessible future,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. “We’re proud to honor these companies and their solutions that will lead the charge in this next generation of transportation.”

More than 60 mobility startups, hailing from 10 countries, demonstrated their mobility technologies in Detroit this week at AutoMobili-D. Since inception, the startup footprint at AutoMobili-D has grown by 59 percent and 77 percent are first-time exhibitors in 2019.

“Advances in new mobility have come a long way since the inaugural AutoMobili-D in 2017,” said Trevor Pawl, group vice president of PlanetM, the state of Michigan’s mobility-focused brand and business development program. “The startups exhibiting this year illustrate those advances in an eye-opening way, from new technologies in mapping and hardware to new applications and partnerships in IoT, advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.”

2019 Techstars Startup of the Year: Wise Systems

“We are proud to be part of AutoMobili-D and honored to be recognized by PlanetM and Techstars,” said Chazz Sims, CEO and co-founder of Wise Systems. “Thanks so much to the judges and community for this recognition.”

Wise System is an autonomous dispatch and routing solution that empowers operations teams and drivers to improve fleet efficiency and customer service, seamlessly adapting to the everyday challenges they encounter.

PlanetM and Techstars invited 16 mobility startups exhibiting at AutoMobili-D to pitch in front of an impressive roster of judges, including representatives from Bosch, Denso, Ford, Lear and many other notable mobility stakeholders.

“The annual startup pitch competition is an excellent opportunity for innovative startups to share their technologies and vision with the leading mobility companies and stakeholders,” said Ted Serbinski, managing director of Techstars. “This year’s event was one of the most competitive competitions to date. It brought 17 remarkable mobility startups from around the world to present their business in Detroit in front of automakers, suppliers and venture capital firms.”

2019 PlanetM Awards Best in Show: WaveSense

WaveSense is accelerating the arrival of self-driving vehicles. They provide ground penetrating radar technology that creates subterranean maps to help vehicles navigate challenging conditions, such as snow, rain, fog or poor lane markings.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by PlanetM as a leader in safety in autonomous vehicle technology,” said Tarik Bolat, CEO and Co-Founder, WaveSense. “We are grateful to our automotive partners in the industry who are actively working with WaveSense to deliver robust and reliable autonomous vehicle navigation.”

In its second year, PlanetM, AutoMobili-D and NAIAS hosted the PlanetM Awards to honor enterprises developing innovative and mobility-focused platforms and technologies. NAIAS provides the platform for companies in this industry to showcase their products, services, and technologies. Self-nomination for award consideration is open to all AutoMobili-D exhibitors.

PlanetM selected judges based on their hands-on experience within each mobility category. Judges represent small businesses, large enterprise companies, mobility venture capital groups, and smart city government organizations.

“We received many impressive applications this year for our outstanding lineup of judges to consider,” said Jake Sigal, Detroit serial entrepreneur and co-host of the PlanetM Awards. “I have no doubt that the products on display at AutoMobili-D will go on to transform mobility.”